Not At All What It Seems
by Catching A Common Cold
Summary: "Father, stop!" his voice rang through the clearing and all the figures surrounding the wounded girl spun around in sync to stare at him. He gulped.  "Draco," the tall man that was torturing Hermione swiped his wand across his face, removing his mask. 4yr
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own any of the characters or settings, just the plot, and not even some of that.**_

Set in book 4, right after the riot of Death Eaters invade the Quidditch World Cup.

**(A/N- J.'s writing, taken from 'The Goblet of Fire')**

"What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Harry walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh, this is stupid –_ Lumos_!"

She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground.

"Tripped over a tree-root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them.

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned sharply. Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby them, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed. His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene on the campsite through the gap in the trees.

Ron told Malfoy to do something that Harry knew he would never have dared to say in front of Mrs Weasley.

"Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering.

"Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like _her_ spotted, would you?"

He nodded at Hermione, and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione defiantly.

"Granger, they're after _Muggels_," said Malfoy. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in mid-air? Because if you do, hang around . . . they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."

"Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled.

"Have it your own way, Potter," said Malfoy, grinning maliciously. "If you think that they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."

"You watch your mouth!" shouted Ron. Everyone present knew that 'Mudblood' was a very offensive term for a witch or wizard of Muggel Parentage.

"Never mind, Ron," said Hermione quickly, seizing Ron's arm to restrain him as he took a step towards Malfoy. There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard. Several people nearby screamed,

Malfoy chuckled softly. "Scare easy, don't they?" he said lazily. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to – trying to save the Muggels?"

"Where are_ your_ parents?" said Harry, his temper rising. "Out there wearing masks, are they?"

Malfoy turned his face to Harry, still smiling. "Well . . . If they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?"

"Oh, come on," said Hermione, with a disgusted look at Malfoy, "Let's go and find the others."

"Keep that big bushy head down, Granger," sneered Malfoy.

"Come on," Hermione repeated, and she pulled Harry and Ron off up the path again.  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**(A/N- This part and onwards is my writing)**

"Come on," Hermione repeated, and she pulled Harry and Ron off up the path again.

"I'll bet you anything his dad is one of the masked lot!" Draco heard Ron exclaim angrily, before the three were out of hearing range. He sighed in relief.

As much as he pretended to hate the Muggel-born genius of his year, he could not just sit around and allow her to get caught by the rampaging Death Eaters behind. He sighed and turned towards the tree he was standing behind, peering around it to watch the destruction. He knew that once he saw his father again he would have to fake a smug smile and act like he enjoyed the show. How disgusting, he thought as the masked fellows continued to levitate the now limp Muggels, laughing when the Muggel woman's nightdress fell again.

Turning away with a sick feeling, Draco walked away from the devastation with regret falling heavy on his shoulders. He knew that the Death Eaters were going to show tonight, his father being the leader of the riot. He could have tipped someone off. He could have persuaded his father that this was not the time. But no, he was too fearful of his father to do such things, and now innocent people- however non-magical they may be- were being hurt.

Draco sat down on the dense ground with a sigh, his head in his hands. The forest around him was quiet and dark, and he wondered if the riot had finally been tamed. Though this was not likely.

Suddenly a shrill scream penetrated the silence, and Draco scampered to his feet and took off in the direction of the scream. It was familiar, that he was sure, but to who it belonged to was a mystery.

Finally, after sprinting for a few minutes, Draco broke through the trees to a large clearing, and was met by a horrendous sight.

Hermione, who had obviously separated from Harry and Ron, one way or another, was curled up in a ball on the forest floor, jerking in pain as hooded figures stood around her, jeering and laughing as someone standing directly in front of her slashed his wand. Before he knew what he was doing, Draco shouted out to the figure.

"Father, stop!" his voice rang through the clearing and all the figures surrounding the wounded girl spun around in sync to stare at him. He gulped.

"Draco," the tall man that was torturing Hermione swiped his wand across his face, removing his mask in doing so. Lucius Malfoy stepped forward to stare curiously at his son. Draco had drawn his face into a mask of bravo and smug pride as he stared at his father.

"Father, I wish to . . . take over from you. You see, this filthy Mudblood has caused me a lot of hindrance during my last three years and now I wish to repay the favour," he sneered down at Hermione with fake disgust. The girl in question looked up pleadingly at Draco, silently begging for release. But Draco couldn't risk being caught by his father or the other Death Eaters so his face remained cold.

Maybe it was due to the way of the gods, or maybe it was just luck, but after a few more questions and comments between the father and son, Lucius gestured to the group of followers to leave and they all filed out of the clearing.

Glancing around, Draco made sure there was no one around, before his face transformed into worry and he dropped to the ground beside Hermione.

"Hermione, I know that you don't trust me, but please, just this once, please do. We have to move and get you out of the clearing as soon as possible before Father changes his mind," Draco rushed as quickly as he could, grabbing Hermione's hand and helping her to stand.

Once he let go, she seemed to collapse again, and Draco darted forward to stop her fall. Putting his arm around her waist, he pulled her against him and then staggered off in the opposite direction of his father.

Together, the Muggel-born and Death Eater's son fled from the clearing in quick haste, Draco half dragging Hermione. After few minutes of stumbling, Hermione seemed to gain her strength back and she drew away from Draco, still holding onto his wrist to avoid falling. Draco flipped his hand over and laced their fingers together, before hurrying faster through the forest

They ran and ran, deeper and deeper into the dark and un-naturally quiet forest, until Hermione fell forward tiredly, dragging Draco down with her. Hermione groaned and tried to sit up, but flopped down to the ground again. Lifting her head into his lap, Draco searched her face and body for open scratches and cuts, fixing the ones he could with his wand. Finally finding the strength to sit up, Hermione rested her head on Draco's shoulder and cried. She was obviously scared and petrified and Draco felt a jolt of remorse shot through him as he wrapped a protective arm around her.

He hated this. He hated that it was his father that did this to the beautiful Muggel-born that fit snugly in his arms. Pulling her closer still, Draco Malfoy apologised; an act that was both foreign and new to him. Hermione gasped as he did so; she had never heard him ever say a kind word to anyone, little own a 'Mudblood'. So, summoning up her Gryffindor courage, Hermione Granger leant forward and kissed Draco Malfoy.

At first it was just a light brush of lips, but Draco leant forward and pressed his lips harder against hers. A soft gasp escaped Hermione's mouth, and he used the opportunity to slide his tongue passed her lips and explore her mouth. Hermione's hands found his silky blonde hair while Draco's hands went to her waist, massaging circles on her thighs.

Draco and Hermione pulled away to breath, leaning their foreheads against each other, their eyes closed. Draco opened his first and looked into the peaceful face of the muggel-born he was meant to be torturing. She was beautiful, and Draco found it hard to believe that he had not seen this before.

He soft, now slightly swollen lips were plump and light, pink in colour, her eyes were a perfect chocolate brown and her hair was thick and now slightly tamed.

Leaning down again, he pressed his lips to hers and was amazed when she groaned lightly in anticipation. Suddenly, voices sounded through the silence.

"Hermione? Hermione! Hermione, where are you?" an obnoxious voice called loudly and Hermione and Draco sighed. A perfectly good moment ruined by Ron Weasley. Harry Potter's voice soon joined Ron's and Draco pulled Hermione to her feet, pushing her towards he friends. She turned around.

"Please come?" she asked desperately, although she already knew what the answer. Draco shook his head.

"I can't, they will kill me." He quickly silenced her protests with a short kiss. "No," he whispered against her lips, and she sighed, pecking him on the check with one, last wistful glance. Then she dashed out to meet her friends.

_**Tell me, should it be a One Shot, or should I make it a story? I have some pretty good ideas but . . . you guys have to tell me what you think! **_____

_**xx**_


	2. Chapter 2

September first; the day that Draco had been losing sleeps to for the past two weeks. Several 'what if's' ran through his head every time Hermione came into his thoughts . . . Which was extremely often indeed.

What if she regretted kissing him?

What if she hated him again?

What if she told Potter and Weasley?

What if she thought the kiss didn't mean anything?

What if she-

"Draco! Come child, we have to leave if you want to catch the train in time," came the high voice of Narcissa Malfoy, who was waiting in the kitchen of the manor for her son to arrive. When he did, she lightly tucked him under her arm and Apparated to a dark alley-way that was just to the side of the Kings Cross train station.

Draco dragged his trunk behind him as they made their way to platform 9 ¾. Once they were on the other side he was surprised to find the air full of the buzz of excitement. He turned to his mother to find her staring at him with a wide smile.

"Have fun this year Draco," she implied, winking. His face became confused.

"Mother, what do you"-

"Now, now, Draco, we don't want to ruin the surprise," she giggled, lightly kissing her son on the cheek before turning on the spot and disappearing with a loud 'pop'.

Draco stared perplexed at the stop his mother had been, before shaking his head and climbing on the train. Dragging his trunk to an empty compartment, he sat down but it wasn't long before he was interrupted.

". . . and I'm hoping we find out why Mum was as excited of as soon as we- oh."

Draco looked up to find the youngest Weasley crowding the door, a blonde girl just behind her. Something close to fear crossed over the girls face and he felt a hint of self loathing spread through him; was he really that viol?

"Err, I'm sorry, there's no more empty cabins," the Weasley, Ginny, stumbled out. She quickly continued as he made to open his mouth and reply. "But it's okay, we'll just go and find another one."

Ginny shut the door hurriedly, but Draco stuck his foot out at the last second. Pushing the door open, he grabbed at his trunk.

"Don't worry about it, I'll move. I have to find my friends anyway," he smiled at the gaping girls, before walking out of the compartment to find his friends.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Hermione Granger, Third Person.

Hermione mentally groaned as the subject of Quidditch came up again, and mumbled a lame excuse before rushing out of the compartment. She knew that her two best friends were worried about her, not quiet believing that the night Draco Malfoy had saved her she had just 'got lost along the way'. But, knowing not to push her, the two boys switched the conversation to Quidditch every time the subject of the World Cup came up. Which was far too often for Hermione.

Sighing quietly to herself, she wandered around the train, hoping to find a friend or two to sit with instead of boring her ears off with Quidditch talk. Luckily she quickly found Ginny Weasley and a friend of hers huddled in a compartment, whispering to each other frantically. Hermione slide through the door.

"I'm terribly sorry for I interrupting, but do you mind if I sit with you? The boys are going on about Quidditch again," she asked, addressing Ginny with a sour face, to which Ginny giggled at. She knew all about Hermione's aversion to Quidditch and had also noticed the increase in the subject. Although, unlike Hermione, she had no clue as to why that was happening.

"Of course. Hermione, this is my friend Luna Lovegood. Luna, this is Hermione Granger," Ginny introduced, smiling kindly at her friend.

"Hello Hermione," Luna said in a dreamy voice, seeming to look above her head instead of at Hermione's face. Hermione nodded to her with a smile.

"So, what were the two of you talking about before I rudely interrupted?" Hermione asked casually. Luna and Ginny glanced at each other with serious faces before turning to face Hermione and announcing the one thing that she did not expect.

"Draco Malfoy."

Sitting down cautiously on and empty seat that was covered slightly by a large black coat, Hermione stared at the girls, obviously telling them to keep talking. Ginny sighed.

"Luna and I were trying to find an empty compartment, and we thought this one was. But it turned out that Draco Malfoy was sitting in the corner and we just didn't notice him. I got really jumpy, because I had heard all the things our family has said about him. Anyway, I was just about to leave when he stopped me and told me I could sit here and that he needed to find his friends anyway, he smiled! Like, actually smiled- not a smirk or anything! So we were trying to figure out exactly what it meant," Ginny explain hurriedly, and Luna nodded her part. Hermione was surprised. She was certain that when school commenced, Draco would turn back into his horrible self, but this contradicted her theory.

Suddenly the door opened and in stepped the blonde haired boy that Hermione had spent all summer dreaming about. He paused when he spotted Hermione.

"Err, I'm sorry. I just forgot my coat. . ." Draco wandered off, never taking his eyes off Hermione but pointing to the coat next to her.

Lifting it up, Hermione handed it to him slowly, not braking eye contact. He took it from her smiling slightly.

"Thanks, Hermione." She smiled back at him.

"Your welcome, Draco," she replied softly before he left the cabin. Ginny and Luna stared at Hermione, wide-mouthed.

"What in God's name was that?" Ginny all but screamed, and then looked down when Hermione hushed her. Leaning towards the two girls, she glanced around swiftly.

"Can you two keep a secret?" she asked the in a whisper and both girls nodded their heads viciously. "Over the Summer holidays, when we went to the World Cup, I"- loud voices suddenly sounded from outside the compartment, and Harry Potter and Ron Weasley waltzed into the cabin, completely unaware that a secretive conversation was being held between the two girls.

"Something fishy is going on with Malfoy," Ron told the girls, ignoring the looks that they shared. "He just walked past us with a smile. I might of 'accidentally' walked into him and guess what! He said sorry!" Ron's face was so commercially confused that the girls burst out into hysterical laughter and Harry chuckled quietly, moving to sit beside Ginny.

"What? It was creepy okay!" he defended himself, upset that his friends would laugh at such a serious matter.

"So . . . Funny," choked out Ginny.

"Can't . . . Breath," Hermione giggled. Luna couldn't even speak and Harry just sat there shaking his head at his red haired friend.

The rest of the ride to Hogwarts was uneventful.


End file.
